They recognized the seriousness of their wrongdoing and desperately begged for God’s mercy.
“Then all the people said to Samuel, ‘Pray for your servants to the LORD your God, so that we may not die, for we have added to all our sins [this] evil by asking for ourselves a king.’” (1 Samuel 12:19) In this passage, Samuel has just rebuked the Israelites for insisting on having a monarch. They realize that they have not only accumulated various sins over time but have also committed an additional offense by demanding a king to rule over them, revealing a deeper distrust in God’s care. The people’s desperate request for Samuel’s intercession underscores their sense of guilt and fear—they perceive that their actions are likely to invoke divine judgment.
“Then all the people said to Samuel, ‘Pray for your servants to the LORD your God, so that we may not die, for we have added to all our sins [this] evil by asking for ourselves a king.’” (v.19) The immediate setting for these words appears to be in Gilgal, a location west of the Jordan River near Jericho. Gilgal holds special significance in Israel’s history, as it was a base of operations when they first entered the Promised Land (Joshua 4:19). By the time of Samuel, roughly around the mid-11th century BC, the people congregate here again to affirm Saul’s kingship (1 Samuel 11:14-15), demonstrating how Gilgal continued to be a place of major national gatherings and spiritual commitments.
Samuel stands as one of Israel’s last judges and a recognized prophet, living approximately from 1105-1010 BC. He bridges the transition from the time of the judges to the era of the monarchy. In this verse, his role is that of an intercessor, much like Jesus in the New Testament (Hebrews 7:25). The Israelites grasp that they cannot approach God on their own merit, thus turning to Samuel to plead on their behalf. Their words echo the human tendency, across biblical history, to rely on God’s appointed mediator when confronted with sin.
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1 Samuel 12:19 meaning
“Then all the people said to Samuel, ‘Pray for your servants to the LORD your God, so that we may not die, for we have added to all our sins [this] evil by asking for ourselves a king.’” (1 Samuel 12:19) In this passage, Samuel has just rebuked the Israelites for insisting on having a monarch. They realize that they have not only accumulated various sins over time but have also committed an additional offense by demanding a king to rule over them, revealing a deeper distrust in God’s care. The people’s desperate request for Samuel’s intercession underscores their sense of guilt and fear—they perceive that their actions are likely to invoke divine judgment.
“Then all the people said to Samuel, ‘Pray for your servants to the LORD your God, so that we may not die, for we have added to all our sins [this] evil by asking for ourselves a king.’” (v.19) The immediate setting for these words appears to be in Gilgal, a location west of the Jordan River near Jericho. Gilgal holds special significance in Israel’s history, as it was a base of operations when they first entered the Promised Land (Joshua 4:19). By the time of Samuel, roughly around the mid-11th century BC, the people congregate here again to affirm Saul’s kingship (1 Samuel 11:14-15), demonstrating how Gilgal continued to be a place of major national gatherings and spiritual commitments.
Samuel stands as one of Israel’s last judges and a recognized prophet, living approximately from 1105-1010 BC. He bridges the transition from the time of the judges to the era of the monarchy. In this verse, his role is that of an intercessor, much like Jesus in the New Testament (Hebrews 7:25). The Israelites grasp that they cannot approach God on their own merit, thus turning to Samuel to plead on their behalf. Their words echo the human tendency, across biblical history, to rely on God’s appointed mediator when confronted with sin.